IL121128A - Standing table for paraplegics - Google Patents

Abstract

A standing table (120) for paraplegics comprising: a table top (122) mounted on a frame, said top having a forward section with an indentation to accommodate a paraplegic's mid-section; a hand grip (134) mounted on said table or on said frame; said frame comprising: supportive legs (138-140) at least for supporting said table top, knee height transverse knee braces (144, 146) and leg brace means both extending between and supported from said supportive legs, adjustable foot restraining means provided at the bottom of the frame, and rigid buttock bracing means (150), pivotally mounted on said frame forward of said table top, whereby a paraplegic can have access to and draw near the table top past the buttock bracing means, and when close to the table top, the bracing means can be pivoted with one hand behind the back to brace him against the table top and restrain him in a standing position while the other hand holds the hand grip.

Description

STANDING TABLE FOR PARAPLEGICS STANDING TABLE FOR PARAPLEGICS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Paraplegics are paralyzed from the waist down and therefore are incapable of standing unsupported. Most of their life they spend in a wheelchair or in bed. The sedentary position in particular creates all sorts of physiological problems, since the blood circulation in the legs and feet is not the same as in a healthy person. This often results in kidney problems and urinary difficulties caused by the constant sitting. It is, therefore, important for paraplegics to stand up and stay in an upright position for a while, so that blood circulation can reach the lower parts of the body, such as the legs. To this end there have been produced standing frames, some with working surfaces, such as table tops, to enable paraplegics to be strapped in next to them in a standing postion without requiring further assistance of another person. One such device is the Oswestry Standing Frame, which provides a standing frame with a formica top tray and means for strapping the legs and supporting the knees, and a seat strap with adjusting buckle. Other similar standing frames are also available commercially. All these stands, however, require that the paraplegic be helped by another person to stand up and be strapped into the frame and only after he is strapped in can he stand alone. There is thus a definite need for providing a simple inexpensive device which can be self-operated by a paraplegic sitting in a wheelchair, to help himself stand up and secure himself in a standing position without the assistance of another person. Self-operated motorized devices are known, but these are very expensive and unaffordable by many paraplegics.

U.S. Patent No. 3,958,568 discloses a standing table for paraplegics designed for enabling the individual to stand up and lower himself into a wheelchair without the assistance of another person. This standing table includes foot supports, a knee brace and a flexible waist-restraint member, which is activated by pulling at a rope that tightens the restraint member against the person's lower waist portion. One difficulty with this standing table is that the loose rope dangles in the air and has to be manipulated so that a paraplegic in a wheelchair can approach the table properly. Another shortcoming is the foot stall, which requires the paraplegic to bend down and strap his shoes or feet into the stall to secure them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a standing table for paraplegics who are unable to stand in an unassisted manner to readily attain a standing position in front of the table from a seated position in their wheelchair without the assistance of another person.

Another object of the invention is to enable paraplegics standing braced against the standing table, to release themselves from the braced position and lower themselves in a convenient manner and without assistance into a wheelchair.

- - Another object of the invention is to provide a standing table for paraplegics to enable them to stand up against the table unassisted while maintaining their hands in a free position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a standing table according to the invention in an initial position; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the standing table of Figure 1 in an operative position; Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a standing table according to the invention; and Figure 4 illustrates in detail the chest bracing mechanism A of Figure 3.

Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of the invention .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a standing table in accordance with the invention in unoccupied and occupied orientations respectively. The standing table 10 comprises a table top 12 having an indentation 14 in which to position the mid-section of a person standing in contact with the table top 12. Table top 12 rests on a frame which may be made of wood or metal, consisting of an upper frame section 18 and a lower frame section 20. Frame sections 18 and 20 are connected by legs 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32. Legs 22, 24, 26 and 28 are positioned underneath the table top 12, while legs 30 and 32 connect frame sections 18 and 20 forward of the table top 12 with a section 34 of upper frame section 18 being exposed beyond the table top 12. Two additional somewhat shorter legs 36 and 38 extend upwards from the lower frame section 20 and are connected to the legs 30 and 32 by cross-bars 40 and 42 respectively. Extending upward from cross-bars 40 and 42 are two guide rails 44 and 46 providing spaces between the guide rails and the legs 30 and 32 respectively .A rigid board 48 having a curved bottom corner 50 is mounted in the space between leg 30 and rail 44 by means of a bolt 52, so that the board 48 can pivot from a vertical position as shown in Figure 1 to a horizontal position as shown in Figure 2 with its upper edge 54 fitting in the space between leg 32 and guide rail 46. The side 56 of board 48 facing the table top 12 is preferably padded. The side bars 20A and 20B of lower frame section 20 are connected by cross-bars 58 and 60 in an adjustable manner, so that the distance between the cross-bars 58 and 60 is adjustable to correspond to different shoe sizes. This can be done by means of pins (not shown), descending from the edges of the cross-bars 58 and 60, that fit into judiciously spaced apart corresponding holes 62 in the side bars 2OA and 20B. The lower frame section 20 may also be mounted on a floor board 64. A padded knee brace 66 is mounted between legs 26 and 28 and can be adjusted upward or downward by means of screws, bolts or other known means (not shown). A pair of padded leg braces 68 and 70 extending from the ends of knee brace 66 are mounted under the table top 12 on legs 26, 30 and 28, 32 respectively to form a padded bracing area for the legs and knees. Near the back end of the table top 12, close to a corner, there is provided a hand grip 72. The standing table 10 also includes a chest brace, generally designated 74. The chest brace 74 comprises a padded chest plate 78 at the end of a telescopic rod 76 pivotally mounted on the upper frame section 18 near the outer edge of table top 12, so that it can bend forward in the direction of the indentation 14. The chest brace 74 can be adjusted up and down by fitting pin 80 of pivoting telescopic rod 76 into a suitable slot 82 on a pivoting bar 84 mounted on table top 12. The chest plate 78 can also be adjusted up and down to the desired position against a chest by extending or retracting the telescopic rod 76 as needed for the paraplegic to stand close to the table top. It should be noted that the slots 82 are facing the front of the table in order to prevent the telescopic rod 76 from being disengaged from the pivot bar 84 when it is in an operative condition when the pressure against the brace plate 78 is reduced, as for example when the paraplegic moves backward. The brace plate 78 will thus remain in position without collapsing. If the slots 82 were on the other side of the bar 84, then releasing the pressure against the chest plate 78 would cause the disengagement of pin 80 from slot 82 and the chest brace 74 would fall down onto the table top. With the present orientation of the slotted bar 84, the chest brace 74 can be tilted forward towards the person standing adjacent the indentation 14 and adjusted so that the padded chest plate 78 presses tightly against the chest, providing the person with stability.

The standing table is used in the following manner. A paraplegic sitting in a wheelchair wheels himself towards the standing table 10. While in a sitting position in the chair he guides his legs with his hands into the space between the cross-boards 58 and 60, whose distance was pre-adjusted to the size of his foot. The knees and legs are braced b ";^iSe padded braces 66, 68 and 70 respectively. With the left hand, the paraplegic then grabs the hand grip 72 and pulls himself from a sitting position upward into a forward bent position with his mid-section fitting into the indentation 14. While still holding onto the hand grip 72, the paraplegic lowers the rigid brace 48 behind his back with his right hand to fit into the space between leg 32 and rail 46. To provide stability while standing, the pre-adjusted chest brace 74 is lowered against the chest by pivoting the telescopic rod 76 forwards towards the chest. The length and height of the telescopic rod can be adjusted by extending or retracting the telescopic rod 76 and by selecting the proper slot 82 in pivoting bar 84. The padding 56 on brace 48 will provide comfortable pressure against the buttocks or lower back, and the paraplegic can now release the hand grip 7 and stand erect with both his hands free. The feet, legs and lower back are now completely wedged into fixed positions so that they cannot move. Moreover, there is provided full support to the upper part of the body. The whole operation can be done in about two minutes or even less. When the paraplegic wants to return to his wheelchair, he merely grabs the hand grip 72' with his left hand, pulls himself forward and with his right hand lifts the rear brace 48 from the horizontal to the vertical position, freeing his back portion. He then can lower himself into the wheelchair and lift his legs up with his hands onto the footrest of the wheelchair.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is illustrated another embodiment of the standing table, generally designated 90, in accordance with the invention. This table 90 is similar to the one illustrated in Figure 2, with the exception that the chest brace 92, instead of being mounted on the outer edge of upper frame 18, is mounted underneath the table top 12 at its forward end, near the indented area 14. The chest brace 92 is comprised of a chest plate 94 and an adjusting mechanism A better illustrated in detail in Figure 4. The chest plate 94 is supported on a rod 96, which passes through a tube 98, provided with adjusting means consisting of a butterfly head bolt 100 threaded into a threaded hole (not shown), which allows tightening or releasing rod 96, so that it can be raised or lowered as desired. Tube 98 is connected at approximately right angles to a second rod 102, which passes through a second tube 104, also provided with a threaded hole and butterfly head bolt 106 that enables adjusting the extension and retraction, of rod 102. The tube 104 is mounted underneath the table top 12 by supporting rods 108 and 110. Rod 96 is thus extended above the table top 12 in the indented area 14. By adjusting the height and length of rods 96 and 102 respectively, one can adjust the height and closeness to the chest of chest plate 94. This embodiment may be more convenient in some cases where it is desirable to have a freer table top.

Yet another embodiment of a standing table in accordance with the present invention is depicted in Fig.5. The standing table 120 has a compact configuration comprising only two (138, 140) instead of several supporting legs and buttock bracing means 150 designed in a slightly different manner. The standing table 120 comprises a table top 122 having an indentation 124 on the front side. Adjustable bracket 28 is coupled underneath the table top 122 to support chest brace 130 which is also adjustable. Table top 122 is mounted on a frame consisting of upper frame section 126, supporting legs 138 and 140 telescopically mounted 139, 141 respectively to lower frame sections 154 and 156. Buttock bracing means 150 are pivotally connected by rod 148 to supporting leg 140 forward of the table top 122. The bracing means 150 can be pivoted by a paraplegic with one hand behind his back to brace him against the table top 122 and restrain him in a standing position while the other hand holds hand grip 134. Under the table top 122, knee braces 144 and 146 are mounted between legs 138 and 140 via mounting bar 142. A floor board 158 extends between lower frame sections 54 and 156. On the floor board 158 are two spaced apart adjustable bars 160 and 162 which can be adjusted to the appropriate length by means of adjusting screws 164, to accommodate the shoes of a paraplegic person.

In general, a standard standing table of the invention would be approximately 70 cm wide, so that it can fit through almost any doorway. This width can, however, be different depending on the size of the paraplegic. If desirable, the standing table can be mounted on rollers or wheels with brake means, so that it can be easily moved from one place to another by releasing the brakes. When the standing table is to be used, the brakes are applied to prevent it from moving. The standing table may also have the bottom of the floor board 64 covered with a friction mat, such as a rubber mat, to prevent the standing table from sliding when pushed slightly.

The hand grip 72 and rigid back brace 48 were illustrated for a right handed person. It is of course understood that for a left handed person, the location of these would be adjusted accordingly.

Furthermore, according to this invention, the standing table can come as a do-it-yourself assembly kit, including all parts and instructions, ready for assembling.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to what has been shown and described hereinabove by way of example. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims which follow.

Claims (15)

C L A) I M S

1. A standing table for paraplegics comprising: a table top mounted on a frame, said top having a forward sec •tIion with an indentation to accommodate a paraplegic's mid-section; a hand grip mounted on said table or on said frame; said frame comprising: supportive legs at least for supporting said table top, knee height traverse knee braces and leg brace means both extending between and supported from said supportive legs, adjustable foot restraining means provided at the bottom of the frame, and rigid buttock bracing means, pivotally mounted on said frame forward of said table top, whereby a paraplegic can have access to and draw near the table top past the buttock bracing means, and when close to the table top, the bracing means can be pivoted with one hand behind the back to brace him against the table top and restrain him in a standing position while the other hand holds the hand grip.

2. Ά standing table for paraplegics as in Claim 1 , comprising: a table top mounted on a frame, said top having: a forward and a rearward section, the forward section having an indentation to accommodate a paraplegic's mid-section, said rearward section having a hand grip, said frame comprising: upright supportive legs for said table top, and spaced apart upright legs forward of said table top, knee height traverse knee braces and leg brace means, both extending between and supported from said supportive legs. adjustable foot restraining means provided at the bottom of the frame, and rigid buttock bracing means, pivotally mounted on said frame forward of said table top, whereby a paraplegic can have access to and draw near the table top past the buttock bracing means, and when close to the table top, the bracing means can be pivoted with one hand behind the back to brace him against the table top and restrain him in a standing position.

3. A standing table as in Claims 1 and 2, and further comprising an adjustable chest brace associated with the table top frame.

4. A standing table as in Claim 3, wherein the chest brace is mounted to the frame.

5. A standing table as in Claim 3, wherein the chest brace is mounted to the table top.

6. A standing table as in Claims 1-5, wherein the hand grip is located near the rear of the table top.

7. A standing table as in Claims 1-4, wherein the hand grip is located near a far corner of the frame.

8. A standing table as in Claims 1-7, wherein said brace means are all padded.

9. A standing table as in Claims 1-8, wherein said foot restraining means comprises two parallel traverse bars mounted on the bottom of said frame which are adjustable with respect to each other.

10. A standing table as in Claims 1-9, wherein said knee, leg and buttock bracing means are all height adjustable.

11. A standing table as in Claims 1-10, wherein the standing table is provided with wheels or casters and break means therefor.

12. A standing table as in Claims 1-11 and including a floor board.

13. A standing table as in Claims 1-12 in the form of a do-it-yourself assembly kit.

14. A standing table as in any of Claims 1-13 and substantially as described in conjunction with any of Figs.

15. A standing table as in any of Claims 1-13 and substantially as shown in any of Figs. 1-4. AGENT FOR APPLICANT